There have been a number of articles in this paper and others recently about the growing numbers of wildlife in urban areas.

Good news, right? Something that ought to be encouraged?

Before you decide, consider these numbers, taken from Time Magazine's Dec. 9 issue. The cover showed a deer with the headline, "America's Pest Problem." The secondary headline suggested the nation's hunting rules need to change to deal with these "pests."

Before you counter that gentle Bambi is not a pest, think about this: The deer population in the nation has risen 800 percent in the past 20 years, and is at 32 million.

Wild turkeys? They are entertaining and I love seeing them in my neighborhood. They were nearly extinct at one time but today they number around 8 million, with an increase of 1,500 percent since the mid-1990s, says Time.

The magazine had similar increases for animals that are not problems in our backyards: alligators, black bears, wild pigs, gray wolves and cougars.

"There may now be more mountain lions in the West than there were before European settlement," wildlife biologist Maurice Hornocker told Time.

The problem, said Time, is that these animals are doing damage. The magazine cited 1.2 million traffic accidents each year caused by deer; $1.5 billion in damage from feral pigs; Lyme disease, rabies, and other animal-borne ailments.

Rock Island is cited as one city that has gone to limited hunting as a way to keep down the urban deer population. Only bow hunting is allowed, the hunter must shoot from an elevated blind so that the arrow travels downward, and hunting can only be done on golf courses, parks and private land. As you might expect, many people are against the whole idea for safety and other reasons.

But in Hidden Valley Lake, Ind., such a hunting program reduced the number of deer and deer-related traffic accidents while supplying food pantries with fresh venison from about 300 deer, Time said.

The magazine called for enlightened and safe hunting rules for urban wildlife but concluded it must be done. "What can keep these animals away? Only the number 1 predator of them all: The human being," said Time.

Geri Nikolai writes about home, gardens and nature. She may be contacted at gmnikolai@gmail.com or, during office hours, at 815-871-6850.